Before Contacting FCCO, Please Read the Following:

If you are feeding feral or stray cats, know someone who is, or just found cats in need, please read below to learn more about steps you can take to help the cats and to learn more about how our services can be of assistance. For further information, please call us at 503-797-2606 between 10am and 2pm, Monday through Friday, to speak to a volunteer.

If you are feeding a feral or stray cat(s).
If the cat(s) recently showed up, try to identify where the cat came from to make sure you aren’t feeding your neighbor’s or someone’s lost cat. Try and get the cat back to their home whenever possible. Ask around to see if anyone else is also feeding the cat.

Put the cat on a schedule and feed him/her at the same time every day. Pull the food when they are finished eating. Do not free feed. Feed the cat for at least a week before contacting us.

When you know the cat does not belong to someone else and you are willing and able to continue to feed the cat on an ongoing basis, contact us. FCCO services are for feral or stray cats who live outdoors and not family pets. If you are going to adopt the cat as a pet, there are other spay/neuter resources available and we can direct you to them.

To get an appointment to bring the cats to one of our spay/neuter clinics, we need to hear from the person who is feeding the cats – the caregiver. This is the person who will sign the release form acknowledging they are the caregiver, that they have permission to trap on the property where they feed the cats, and that the cats can be returned to where they are being fed after surgery.

If you would like to bring the cat to a Portland clinic, you can call us at 503-797-2606 or you can complete a caregiver application online and we will follow up with you. If you live outside the Portland metro-area, please check out our clinic schedule and call the local number for the clinic closest to where you live.

For additional information on how to use our program, please click here.

If you know someone who is feeding feral or stray cats.
If you haven’t already talked with the person, the first step is to have a conversation about the cats and the importance of spaying/neutering. An open-minded and non-confrontational approach works best. Please remember that not everyone will be open to your help or suggestion – at least not right away. Offer to help now or in the future. Don’t give up, it may take several conversations.

When the person feeding the cats is open to spaying and neutering, or learning more about it, direct them to our website or hand them an FCCO brochure, downloadable from our website [click here for brochure]. Offer again to help them. The caregiver may feel overwhelmed by the trapping or transporting of the cats, and your help might be just what they need to get it done. Compassion and patience is important.

To schedule an appointment, have the caregiver call FCCO at 503-797-2606 and then follow the steps in section above. You can help with trapping, transportation, donations, and even drop-off/pick-up, but the caregiver needs to be the one we initially hear from, and the one who signs the release form to use our service.

You have become aware of feral or stray cats at a specific location
You are kind and compassionate for noticing the cats and trying to help them. A good place to start is to see if any of the cats have an ear tip [see a photo]. If they do, the cats have been spayed/neutered. Look around to see if you can locate a feeding site to confirm the cats are being fed on a regular basis. If you don’t find one, ask neighbors and businesses in the area if they know who is feeding the cats. If someone is, refer to the steps above for next steps. If you find a feeding station, you can also leave a note about spaying/neutering and your willingness to help.

If no one is feeding the cats – are you willing to feed them? Maybe with some help from friends, neighbors or family members it could be a joint effort. We know it is a big commitment, but please don’t look the other way. The cats need your help. And, we are here to assist you get the cats spayed/neutered.